There are lots of things lacking when it comes to male dressing in Nigeria. If you are a man of class and style, there are some things that should be known to you since a man is typically addressed the way he dresses. Mr. Ogechukwu, a men’s fashion consultant says, “Style is innate. You either have it or you don’t. If you don’t, well… You can learn it.” Basically, style is an every day affair. Mr. Ogechukwu Igwedinma shares 10 style rules every man of style ought to know.
1. A GOOD suit treated well shouldn’t be dry-cleaned more than twice a season: He says “A good suit is true to its worth in cash, well tailored and its fabric, cut and well made; so if that suit you’ve got is a good suit, why should it go to the dry-cleaner more than twice a season?” A good suit is not necessarily expensive as its range is around $300 – $5000. He concludes, “Your priority in choosing a good suit should be the fit, the fabric and the cut.”
Cowboy tip: Do you need to dry-clean those jeans?2. Jeans should never meet an iron: Mr Ogechukwu says Jeans is a wash and wear material and one should take into consideration its peculiarities when using it. He explains why; “Jeans should be washed inside out so that they don’t run (fade). Every jeans, no matter the designer, is meant to fade but it should last a while before it starts fading and it should fade uniformly if you take its peculiarity into consideration like making sure that your jeans never comes in contact with an iron and when washing, should be washed inside out with a mild detergent.”
3. Your belt and shoes should match in color, if not in material: He explained, “Material belts are the belts military personnel wear. If your belt and shoe does not match in material, it should always match in colour. This is like the easiest mistake even some people of style fall into. It is very important that your shoe and belt should match and if you have on a leather wristwatch, the color must also match with your shoes and belt. A chain wristwatch can always go with your belt and shoe color matched.”
4. It’s more important in a man’s DAILY life to have a good ‘tailor’ than a good doctor: He explains, “A lot of people might disagree with this but if you read it again, you will realise that you do not visit your doctor daily. But looking good is a daily requirement for a man of style hence, the daily visit to a good tailor. A good tailor in this context can be your wardrobe, your fashion consultant or your stylist. You visit your wardrobe everyday; make sure they are visits that end up making you look real good. Every man of style needs to look good daily.”
5. Every man of style should own a sterling belt buckle and a simple pair of cuff links: Other than the fact that owning a sterling belt buckle and a simple pair of cuff links is a basic style 101 course, it is also smart to own them. The style expert tells us why; “A sterling belt buckle works with almost every official wear and a simple cuff link can work with your native and official wears. Even those who wear the ‘Etibo’ from the Niger Delta and the ‘Arewa’ from the North will work well with those cuff links you own.”
6. When in doubt, ask a woman: He says, “Women are our helpers according to the Bible so when you are doubtful and you want to be sure that you look good, there is nothing wrong if you decide to ask your mother, girlfriend, lady, sister. What men don’t see, women sometimes can see it. Taking that into consideration gives some sort of balance.”
Women often have a better idea of how they want their man to look7. Know that women can often be wrong in confirming your style decisions: “A man of style has to understand that he is ultimately alone in the vast sea of indecision that he must ply. Women might be wrong in her choice of style for men but a man of style would understand that and might decide to go with it, maintaining the balance between his style and a woman’s view of a man style.”
A power dresser must be a master in the art of blending8. Every man of style should own six types of suit with these quality and colors: First suit: navy solid; second suit: gray solid; third suit: navy pinstripe; fourth suit: gray chalk stripe; fifth suit: black; sixth suit: you need no sixth suit.
Fashion fail?9. Sneaker with suit is a no-no: Ogechukwu anxiously stated; “I see a lot of celebrities with this kind of blend but trust me, it is a flaw. Suit has got no business with sneakers. They don’t mix because they are like oil and water. Sneakers can be worn with jeans, or joggers and with your athletic gears; with your chinos but never with a suit. It is wrong. It is a mismatch. It is not acceptable.”
10. To have absolute style is to break absolute rules – sometimes even these: This rule sums up everything. He says, “This rule is actually the icing on the cake. A particular celebrity, Pharell Williams is know for breaking style rules but he keeps topping magazines like Esquire. He is at the top as a man of style because Pharell knows when to break those rules. He breaks style rules at the Grammys but not to black tie events because he knows when to break them. As a stylist, you are meant to take risks but you have to be careful when breaking those rules. Pharell knows when and how to break style rules. Knowing when and how to break style rules makes you are a stylish person. Jim Iyke as a trend setter; he will always be controversial when it comes to fashion but going against the grain was a stylish thing Iyke did and Nigerians will always refer to his going against the grain as style.”
Ogechukwu Igwedinma is a style consultant/fashionista. He is passionate about dressing people in exquisite and simple wears for special events like weddings, dinners, award ceremonies e.t.c He is also an expert in the procurement of fashion accessories and consultations on male grooming. His brand is Fashionmista Inc. Contact him via BBM: 2AC9BEF9; email: ogechukwu78@gmail.com; phone: 08023021898
